GRABER, Willis Joseph, 1918-2004

GRABER, RICH, WATTS, PAULSEN, WYSE, ROTH, SWARTZENDRUBER, FREDERICK, NELSON

Posted By: Betty Hootman (email)
Date: 2/10/2012 at 20:38:01

Mount Pleasant (IA) News
15 February 2004

Willis Graber
December 2, 1918 -- February 16, 2004

Willis Graber, 85, of Wayland, died on Monday, Feb. 16, 2004, at the Henry County Health Center.

The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Sugar Creek Mennonite Church, with pastors Robert Hartzler and Roger Farmer officiating. Burial will be in the Sugar Creek Cemetery. Visitation will begin at noon on Thursday, Feb. 19 at the church, with family present from 6 to 8 p.m. A memorial has been established to the Sugar Creek Mennonite Church. Olson-Powell Mennonite Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Graber was born Dec. 2, 1918, in Henry County, the son of Joseph and Barbar Rich Graber. He received schooling at the rural Douglas Elementary School and later attended Wayland High School. He married Marjorie Watts on May 23, 1943. The couple has lived in the Wayland area for all of their married life. He farmed for many years near Wayland. He was a lifelong member of the Sugar Creek Mennonite church where he was a Sunday school teacher, a trustee, and a member of the Loyal Companions Sunday Class. The couple enjoyed traveling and had volunteered at summer camps Michigan, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. They hosted several exchange students in their home and had also fostered several children. He spoke fluent German and enjoyed the dialog with many visitors who speak the language.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, Larry and his wife Violet Graber of Wayland, and Wendell and his wife Linda Graber of Story City; a foster daughter, Vickie and her husband Doug Paulsen of Eldridge; eight grandchildren; a brother, Raymond Graber of Mt. Pleasant; and five sisters, Rachel Wyse, Berniece Roth and Beulah Mae Swartzendruber, all of Wayland, and and Lois Swartzendruber and Sara Lu Frederick, both of Wellman.

He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant son, Ronald Dean Graber, in 1945; a daughter, Sharon Kay Graber in 1970; a sister, Welma Nelson; and two brothers, Clarence Graber and Virgil Graber.